1. More Than Teachers: A Study of How Band Directors Handle Student Grief
Barrett Undergraduate Honors Thesis Defense
Alaina Peters
Director: Dr. Margaret Schmidt
Second Reader: Julie Hoffer, MM, MT-BC

2. Summary
Topic: how band directors’ ensembles are affected during times of tragedy & how the directors respond
Three research questions:
In what musical or non-musical ways do band directors aid their students in the grieving process?
How do band directors handle their own personal emotions, both in front of their students and privately?
What resources and previous experiences prepared band directors to handle a grief situation, and what additional methods may have prepared them more effectively?
Qualitative study

3. Motivations and Need for Study
Personal Motivations
Related Literature
Student grief is common and diverse.
School support systems exist, but there are many barriers.
Group support curriculums are beneficial for students, especially those including art therapy.
Music ensemble directors have chances to develop students’ affective domains.

4. Methodology Obtained IRB approval (exempt status)
Recruitment – recommendations and snowball sampling
Semi-Structured Interviews
“Describe your classes the day the news broke.”
“Are there any of your students’ responses to the situation that stick out in your mind?
“Did you vary your classes’ normal activities/routines when this happened? Why/why not?”
“What advice would you give to a fellow ensemble director going through a similar situation?”
Transcriptions
Analysis – coding for main themes

5. Meet the Participants (Case Studies)
Mr. Arias
Former high school band director & current community college band director (most students between age 18 and 22)
9/11 attacks, student suicides, student killed in accident on way to performance, sexual relationship between students
Passionate about inspiring student personal growth
Mr. Bryant
8-year high school band director (w/ 1 elementary)
Death of former student, current student’s suicide attempts, drunk driving simulation
Focused on supporting students and being vulnerable w/ them
Mr. Callahan
19-year high school band director (w/ 3 elementaries)
Student medical concerns, school shooting, accidental death of non- band student at school, suicides of non-band students at school
Concerned with maintaining professionalism & physical protection of students

6. Common Themes
Theme 1: Contextual factors affect stakeholders’ responses.
Timing
Cause of accident/death
Legal constraints
Preparation and resources

7. Common Themes (cont.)
Theme 2: Band Directors Make Many Decisions When Handling Student Grief
Reading the group
Strengthening relationships with students
Taking class time to grieve
Continuing rehearsals/normal procedures
Performing to grieve

8. Common Themes (cont.)
Theme 3: Band directors recall responses of the wider community.
Student-student relationships
Parents
Fellow victims, concerned for children, informants, role models
School community
Residual impacts

9. Common Themes (cont.)
Theme 4: Band Directors Experience Personal Impact
Guilt
Personal inspiration and support
Life lessons for band directors

10. Addressing Research Questions
In what musical or non-musical ways do band directors aid their students in the grieving process?
Musical
Musical performances
Continuing rehearsals to provide structure/normalcy
Non-musical
Forming relationships with students

11. Addressing Research Questions (cont.)
How do band directors handle their own personal emotions, both in front of their students and privately?
In front of students
Needs of students > directors’ feelings
Mr. Bryant: appeared vulnerable and hurt
Mr. Callahan: maintained professional demeanor
Privately
Reach out to others for support (family, other band directors, mentors)
Found meaning through observing student responses

12. Addressing Research Questions (cont.)
What resources and previous experiences prepared band directors to handle a grief situation, and what additional methods may have prepared them more effectively?
What Prepared Them
Referred students to school counseling services
Any training was reportedly helpful
Physical safety concerns addressed more than student emotional concerns
Ideas from other leaders
Additional Methods
More training
More conversing with others in the field

13. Limitations Small sample size (cannot generalize)
All participants were male
Specific school/teacher demographics were not collected
Only addressed band directors (original intent was to include multiple ensemble types)

14. Implications for Practice
Implications for individual band directors
Develop knowledge of each student
Familiarize self with school social work program
Seek training on subject
Consider chosen repertoire to reflect aspects of affective domain
Consider social media as tool to monitor student concerns
Implications for band director community
Intentionally build personal network
Share stories on grief with others
Implications for educating current/future band directors
School social workers may educate teachers on grief
Hold roundtable discussions, etc. at music ed. conventions
Professors can address in teacher preparation classes

15. Future Studies Replicate this study with more teachers
Demographics to consider: gender, years of teaching experience, cultures/religions, size of program, type of program, age of students
Conduct survey-based study to gain surface- level information and generalizations
Conduct similar study with different types of teachers

16. Personal Reflections Orientations to teaching
Orientations to leadership
Orientations to research

17. Video
Faith

18. Questions?